Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-07
9ailn - eagle
WHALING ON THE SOUND.
THE OFF SHORE FISHERY ALONG
THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND.


THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND.
Sight-Embarking for the Chase-Capt-
ured and lowed Ashore-Cut Up and
Tried Out for Oil.
The off shore fishery is still an organized in
dustry in Amagansett, Easthampton, Bridg-
hampton and Southampton, four villages
and townships forming the extreme eastern
end of Long Island Walking their foaming
beaches in summer days one sees In some
prominent sand dune a tall pole firmly
planted on the sand with cleats nailed upon
it at intervals, SO that it can DO easily as
cended Within sight, perhaps mile dis
tant, is another, and so the coast is belted
with them from the Hamptons on the west
quite beyond Amagansett. These are tno
s'lookouts" of the whale fishers, and also serve
the same purpose when the menhaden are on
shore in the spring. On cold, wintry morn
ing some one-a patrolman from the life
saving station perhaps-discovers school
of whales a mile or two off shore. He at
once climbs the nearest pole and swings his
jacket as ''weft,,' Bright eyes are ever
on the watch, and at once huge fish horn
Is sounded in the village ordering rally,
lazy ponies are harnessed into crazy wagons,
the three boats crews jump in and they are
off on a gallop to the beach, followed by all
the able bodied men, WON IN and children OF
the village.
The great whale boats are drawn up on
the sands near the boat house, the latter con-
tanning oars, harpoons, lances the coiled
harpoon line and other implements OF the
chase. Hairy, brawny arms run the boat
down TO the marge, over which at regular
intervals the breakers throw their carpets Of
foam. The men stand statuesGue by the
side of the boat until the smallest of the
s.three brothers for so they term the
graded series of waves which form the
ryhthm of the sea- breaks, when they run the
craft In with a rush and pull out in the lull
beyond the foaming crests. Once outside
the line of surf the boat steerer at the helm
takes look around for the whales. They
are about mile out, feeding on the britt"
Ia minute sea animal of reddish cast just
beneath tho surface, occasionally coming up
to ''spout.
The boat steals cautiously on the quarry,
the harpooner in the bow weapon in hand,
while We on the beach watch with bated
breath the result. 1t is no easy matter to
approach whale under these circumstances.
A grizzled old veteran, with hands on hips,
indicates some of the difficulties: "Ef yeou
cum up on the side the brute sights ye an
makes off; eff yeOu cum up directly in his
wake he senses We in some curious way and
off he goes You'll see the cap'n'D cum up
quarterin' like"
The boat was very near one of the largest
Of the whales Presently we saw the ''iron"
flash and bury itself in the monster, the har-
pooner exchange places with the boat steerer,
his long, cleaning lance in hand, and then be-
came sensible that the boat was being borne
with terrible swiftness beyond our ken. Less
and less it grew, now \ small speck on the
horizon-then vanishing altogether.
'They may 60 at that pace for twenty
mile" said the veteran. "More than once
I've found myself out there Indicating the
horiDon,, no land in sight, fast to whale,
an mebbe fog or storm comm up. The
chances are, though, that in mile or two
the whale'll lie on the water and sulk. Then
the boat'll steal up and the cap'n'll give him
tho death thrust with the lance. Them's
pretty excitin' times. Two ben thar often.
Tho blow grazes the black, shiny hide, the
cap'n thrustS; an when he pulls out the lance
o shower of blood follers, often drenching the
boats crew. If possible the lance is given
another thrust, then it well to back water,
for the beast soon goes into the death furry,
an would break a cast iron bAlt to pieces il
II struck il. The whale sinks once it is dead,
and the men mark its position by buoy
with flag attached. The sinking in deep
water is bad thing for the whalemen. A
whale that sinks in 200 fathons is apt to stay
down.
On the beach the boat landed during the
night. and the mon finding shelter at station
q, came into town in the morning reporting
having sunk the whale about ten miles out
On the third day the quarry is expected to
rise, and the men row out, returning with it
late at night Next morning there is quite
q stampede To view the monster which has
formed almost the sole topic of gossip in the
stores for the past two nights. 1T lies bump
ing in the surf, having grounded some little
way out, huge, black, shining mass, one fin
upright, and the huge flukes swaying in the
surf. Capt. Edwards is six feet high, but
when be stands upright beside the fin his head
Is on a level with its tip. Tho men swarm
upon the whale like the Liliputans on Gull
liver, maintaining their footing by sharp
prods in their boots and by the stout hawser
fastened round the fiukes and carried to an
anchor On shore. As it lays these four
wagons and teams tandem do not COM
pass its length, and two tall men one stand
ing on the other head would not reach to its
upper surface.
Edwards began operations by cutting with
his spade a deep incision in the neck forward
Of the fin and continuing until he struck and
unjointed the huge vertebrse Next the lip
Of the head was taken off, exp ,sng the
upright row of whalebone lining the cavity
Of the mouth with is hairy filamentS, u0d by
the whale in straining the britt on which
having ruled at times during the past few
years rs high as 3 per pound Next the men
attack the body, cutting long EIrrows around
the animal and then by cross lines dividing
the blubher into large, square sections, which
are towed ashore. The men work lively, for
storm is liable to break upon them at any
time and sweep the prize from its hold.
When one side has been stripped the huge
carcass is turned at flood tide and the re-
manning side stripped. Meantime far up the
beach unler the protecting dunes prepara-
tions for trying the blubber are progressing
with vigor. The trypoes set i'll brickwork
will hold $50 gallons each, and weigh 600
pounds There isbut little wood beside each
ketSe-the scrapple will feed the fires, after
the first kettleful is boiled. The trying goes
on by night and by day.-Detroit Free
Press.
Mo-